Vice Chancellorship aspirant drags UniUyo to court for disqualification

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An aspirant for the post of Vice Chancellor of the University of Uyo, Effiong Johnson, has challenged his disqualification by the Governing Council at the Federal High Court.

Mr. Johnson, a professor and former Dean of Students Affairs, said in Uyo on Sunday that he was surprised that only his name was omitted from those invited for final interview to the office of the vice chancellor.

“As the university orator, I am not satisfied with the treatment meted on me by the governing council, of which I have been a member for three terms.

“The advert declaring vacant the position of the vice chancellor of the University of Uyo came out in the Punch newspaper of April 28, 2015 and criteria for the person of the vice chancellor were clearly stated.

“This is my third term in the governing council; with that credential, I am not a novice, neither do I fall short of the requirements for the vice chancellorship position.

“Item B which, among others, stated that the person of a vice chancellor, as advertised, should have had twenty years of experience in the university setting, ten of which must be as a professor.

“I also heard some rumour that the governing council may have had another interpretation to that particular criterion.

“I clocked ten years as a professor on October 1, 2015, and the interview for that job was billed for October 15, 2015.

“So, I had to institute a case challenging the process of my not being invited [for interview] in the Federal High Court,” Mr. Johnson said.

He said before the interview was conducted, the university was served with an injunction restraining the governing council from conducting the interview.

He said in spite of the injunction, the university went ahead to conduct the interview without inviting him.

Mr. Johnson said the fact that he was not invited for the interview was evidence that something was wrong, which the court must unravel.

It would be recalled that on October 19, the university Registrar/Secretary to council, Edak Umondak, announced that the governing council had approved the appointment of Enefiok Essien, as the new vice chancellor for the institution.